Mode of setting logs in sawmills



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ASA BROOKS, OF TOLLAND, CONNECTICUT.

MODE 0F SETTING LOGS IN SAWMILLS.

Specication of Letters Patent No. 24,850, dated July 26, 1859.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Asa BROOKS, of the town of Tolland, county of Tolland, and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a Machine for Shifting, Setting, and Adjusting Logs on Sawmills by a Self-Acting Movement; and I do hereby declare that the following is a correct description thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in a self acting apparatus to shift the tail block of a saw mill frame, to saw any given thickness required.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to de scribe its construction and operation.

The drawing, Figure l plan view of the saw frame carriage and Fig. 2 a side view of the same and the machine for moving.

This machine is and can be made to work in any of the regularly built sawinills my improvementbeing on the log carriage and tail block.

On the outside of the carriage frame I make a hollow channel M of the requisite width and size to receive the sliding or traveling toothed ratchet E, which is to work freely back and forward. On this ratchet I place a gear wheel A with corresponding teeth to work in the saine. This wheel is on a shaft L, connected to the tail block G, by the two bearings ITN and on the side of the frame N, the middle bearing is tapped with a female screw to receive a. corresponding screw on the shaft L, of the main gear wheel, A. It is this screw that traverses the tail block with the log resting on the bearing O.

The main gear wheel A works loose on the shaft L, to run forward one way and is prevented froin ruiming back by the ratchet wheel and spring pawl B D. This ratchet wheel B is attached permanently on to the shaft L, but slides on the sunk disk of the gear A except when prevented by the spring pawl D.

On the traveling ratchet E I tit a block or chock C, made with about three teeth of the same size as the ratchet, this block is loose and adjustable to any part of the ratchet. Now to operate my machine in the first place, I pass the ratchet E back and butt or other article required to be cut, the chock C. I then commence sawing my log and the carriage and appendages, wheel, ratchet &c. moves forward in the usual manner, until the chock C butts against the stop pin K in the upright of the saw gate frame, causing the ratchet to stop traveling, but the gear wheel now revolves as the carriage advances till the log is sawed through, the ratchet wheel B, and pawl D, allowing it to do so. 4

The carriage and all the appendages now run back again in the usual manner, and the back end of the traveling ratchet E, comes butt against the stop pin F, and the gear wheel A runs back to its starting point,

' and in ruiming back turns the screw of the main shaft L, which passes through the tail block bearings and revolves just enough to move the same and the log to the thickness required, which is regulated by the number of teeth in the ratchet from the end to where the chock C, is placed. For instance I will place t-he chock C about midway of the ratchet as seen in plan and by being there placed it moves the tail block and log one inch. New if I place it so many more teeth forward the wheel A will revolve the shaft more, and consequently cut a thicker or thinner board whichever way the chock is placed on the ratchet, by lifting up the pawl I) the wheel and shaft can be turned either way by a hand crank on the end of the shaft.

The utility of this self-acting machine is, that it is a positive and correct mode of setting the tail end of a log to saw, any given thickness of board or scantling from the smallest imaginable part of an inch to any size above.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The application and combination of the gear A and screw shaft L the traveling ratchet E and chock C, the stops F and K, the spring pawl B, D, for the purpose as herein described, and substantially as set forth.

ASA BROOKS. VVit-nesses:

AARON ALLEN, JOSEPH BISHOP. 

